The Tu Brothers, being embodiments of the Yin Spirit, were blinded, a sign that the Sword Light had stirred the Divine Soul, causing harm and influence.
This was also a method of Sword Intent to Break Evil Illusions. However, Yu Ci manifested it through the sword Talisman, with the Sword Light soaring across the sky. The Azure Void Demon Shadow, being immature, disintegrated upon contact. Beyond the Sword Aura, twinkling stars flowed, flickering and vanishing, penetrating everywhere, giving off a subtle and refined charm.
In the perception of the Tu Brothers, the soaring Sword Light was as if Yu Ci was wielding a Flying Sword, slaying enemies from afar. If another Talisman expert were to use this Talisman, the damage might surpass that of Yu Ci, but it would certainly lack the strong flavor of "sword wielding".
"This is the Nine Luminaries Dragon Abyss Sword Talisman......"
Tu Rilun, a master of sword manipulation and well-versed in Talisman, was so awestruck by the scene of the Talisman Divine Light forming a flying sword that he was nearly drooling. "I have never seen such a Talisman in our Sect, Yu Ci is truly fortunate!"
His brother nodded vigorously, "Old Master Zhu's mastery in Talisman is unfathomable, ah, and his teaching skills are exceptional."
The Tu Brothers would never praise Yu Ci, and could only express their admiration in this way.
They felt this way, and Yu Ci, who was slaying enemies from afar with the sword Talisman, felt even more so. Now, he truly admired the elderly gentleman in the Spirit Sky Pavilion.
Old Master Zhu certainly had opinions about Yu Ci's sword wielding, and teaching a complete set of "Heavenly Flying Stars" Talisman would undoubtedly take up much of Yu Ci's time. Deep down, Yu Ci thought he would have at least some resistance.
But he was wrong.
Old Master Zhu was prejudiced, but he was not old-fashioned. On the contrary, he was very good at using Yu Ci's thoughts. Taking advantage of Yu Ci's love for swords, the first lesson he taught Yu Ci was this Nine Luminaries Dragon Abyss Sword Talisman.
This Talisman was derived from Yu Ci's proficient Seven Dipper Star Sword Talisman, but it had evolved from seven stars to nine luminaries. The simple seven Talisman orifices had become nine, increasing its power several times and complexity instantly. However, Yu Ci, with the foundation of the Seven Star Sword Technique and being a sword expert, had no difficulty understanding this sword Talisman. On the other hand, this complete set of "Heavenly Flying Stars" Talisman, belonging to the Cloud Seal Thunder script System, echoed the circulation of Primordial Qi between heaven and earth, and was one of the Talismans that Old Master Zhu specifically selected as most suitable for use with the Talisman Plate.
Merging both elements, Yu Ci took less than an hour to master the intricacies of the talisman, igniting an unstoppable passion within him. His interest and energy were entirely mobilized. Within less than a month, he had already concurrently studied half of the thirty-six types of talismans in the "Heavenly Flying Stars" Vanquish Evil, refinement, and prayer categories. His progress left everyone, including himself, utterly speechless.
The Nine Luminaries Dragon Abyss Sword Talisman spun half a circle in the void. Unlike the Five-Thunder Talismans, which accumulated Primordial Qi before releasing it in a burst, this talisman was controlled by divine intent, continuously drawing from the surrounding Primordial Qi. As time passed, its power would only grow stronger, but the strain on the Manipulation of Divine Consciousness would also increase.
Yu Ci's cultivation had also improved during this period. His Yin Spirit solidified, and he could travel thousands of miles in spirit. However, after the Nine Luminaries Dragon Abyss Talisman Sword circled thrice in the air, he felt somewhat strained. Decisively, he initiated a change, and the sword light instantly collapsed, scattering star sands. Within a radius of ten feet, all Azure Void Demon Shadows were riddled with gaping wounds. Some could not recover and perished on the spot.
Moreover, with Zhang Yan's sword rainbow sweeping, the previously dense Demon Shadows were now scattered and disarrayed. Yet, whether it was Zhang Yan or the Tu Brothers, their faces were still filled with grave concern.
Azure Void Demon Shadows usually wandered alone, seldom congregating in groups of three or five. However, when they encountered particularly "tasty" prey, they would swarm like flies to a stench, bloodthirsty sharks, making the journey ahead much more challenging.
Yu Ci was well aware of the danger and thus suggested to the Tu Brothers, "Let's take turns launching attacks to cover for Senior Brother Zhang. The talisman I've been practicing recently is powerful, but slow to activate. You brothers must keep a close watch."
The attack levels were assigned. On a normal day, the Tu Brothers would have argued with him, but in this critical situation, they could only silently agree.
Yu Ci straightened out the situation and looked up again. At this moment, the second wave of Azure Void Demon Shadows in the outer layer of the sky was fast approaching, still densely packed.
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However, near their circle, the Azure Void Demon Shadows were much sparser. The remaining ones were all cultivators. According to the Tu Brothers, these were the ones that had been polluted by the Outer Realm Sky Demon for a longer time. They all looked like dark shadows, their forms constantly changing. Some even transformed into the likeness of Yu Ci and the others, mimicking their speech and mannerisms with uncanny accuracy.
"Rumor has it that the Outer Realm Sky Demon excels at discerning human thoughts, adapting to people's intentions, finding every loophole, and targeting weaknesses to create a Demonic Cataclysm, destroying people's cultivation. These Azure Void Demon Shadows might possess some characteristics of the Outer Realm Sky Demon."
Upon forming this understanding, a stir arose in the heart of Yu Ci. The talisman he was preparing was momentarily paused, and he activated his Illuminating Soul Dharma Eye. The Divine Soul universe unfolded before him, just as he had anticipated. Beyond the "Soul Source" of the four of them, a batch of abnormal reactions emerged, undoubtedly, they were the Azure Void Demon Shadows.
At the Divine Soul level, Yu Ci found it difficult to discern their specific forms, feeling that these creatures were simply a combination of light and shadow, coiling around the Soul Source, always attempting to infiltrate.
What was particularly astonishing was that, although these creatures were different entities, they seemed to be able to combine at the Divine Soul level, forming a wave of interlacing light and shadow, continuously eroding the territory of the Soul Source. The threat was becoming increasingly terrifying with the addition of new Azure Void Demon Shadows.
"What monsters!"
Yu Ci knew that the most secure method to deal with such creatures was to rapidly reduce their individual numbers, to avoid creating immense pressure at the Divine Soul level. In this case, all defensive measures would be the worst choice!
Knowing oneself and the enemy is the path to victory, Yu Ci had already begun preparing a large-scale attack talisman. Just then, his heart jolted, he abruptly turned his head, his Illuminating Soul Dharma Eye faithfully taking in all the Soul Source reactions around him.
"Are you out of your mind?"
The Tu Brothers had just blocked an attack from the Azure Void Demon Shadows and were catching their breath. This should have been the moment for Yu Ci to act, but instead, he was gazing into the distance, seemingly lost in thought. This sudden shift left the brothers in disarray. After barely managing to handle the situation, they found time to curse in unison.
Yu Ci, however, turned back and smiled at them: "There really are ghosts!"
As his words fell, a ball of thunder fire rose from the square inch of his Shooting Star Plate. This wasn't the "Heavenly Flying Stars" talisman he had been learning recently, but the fastest Palm Thunder!
In the eyes of the Tu Brothers, a chain of lightning stretched out, piercing the void, erasing a considerable distance in the blink of an eye. However, it did not hit any of the Azure Void Demon Shadows around them but headed towards the new wave of Demon Shadows at the outer periphery.
"What the..."
The brothers were bewildered, but there were others who understood better. In the void, the sound of clashing swords echoed as Zhang Yan suddenly twisted his flying rainbow sword light, almost following the thunder light released by Yu Ci, slashing through the air!
This sword was far more fierce than the Palm Thunder. The Azure Void Demon Shadows in front were in chaos, countless Demon Shadows twisted and transformed, trying to evade the empty Sword Energy. Among them, a wisp of Qingyan moved against the current, not retreating but advancing, rushing towards the rainbow sword.
In an instant, the rainbow sword disintegrated and Zhang Yan, who was wielding it, staggered. From the impact, he realized that although the opponent's cultivation might be slightly inferior to his, they were undoubtedly a formidable adversary.
"Caw, caw, the Lichen Sect, nestled in this remote and impoverished countryside, has actually nurtured a few clever individuals!"
The voice was elusive, shifting from east to west. Both Yu Ci and the Tu Brothers could only see a dim streak of light circling left and right, creating an illusion of residual images before their eyes that was eerily peculiar.
The Tu Brothers, dizzy from the circulating light, asked in a mix of confusion and anxiety, "How did you discover it?"
Yu Ci merely smiled, offering no explanation. The truth was simple. Under the scrutiny of the Illuminating Soul Dharma Eye, all living beings reveal their Soul Source. The Azure Void Demon Shadow, however, manifested differently. Yu Ci had noticed that among the layers of Demon Shadows on the periphery, there was one entity entirely different in nature. It had come with the tide of the Azure Void Demon Shadow, but when observed with the naked eye, it left no trace. If he hadn’t realized something was amiss, he would have been a fool.
He was no fool, and neither was the opponent.
The figure hidden within the Azure Void Demon Shadow had been roaming in the void since its appearance. It never stopped, its speed ever-increasing. Clearly aware that lingering in the Lichen Sect's home ground was dangerous, it was attempting to shake off Zhang Yan's lock and make a swift escape.
It was then that the Tu Brothers finally recognized the origin of this figure. "The Flying Chain Escape Technique of the Light. This is the Light Demon Sect's... How audacious!"
The brothers were furious. The Light Demon Sect also belonged to the Northern Land Demon Gate System, a branch split off after the Great Demonic Cataclysm. Although it had some renown, it paled in comparison to the massive Lichen Sect. Yet, this audacious character dared to act so brazenly outside the Sect's Mountain Gate. Did they really think the Lichen Sect was unguarded?
Zhang Yan remained silent, a chilling intent forming in his deeply sunken eyes.
Just as he was about to strike, his brow furrowed. He looked up to see snowflakes gently falling from the sky. It had started to snow.
Distracted, his opponent seized the opportunity to transform into a streak of light and escape several miles away. Zhang Yan, surprisingly, did not attempt to intercept.
The Tu Brothers opened their mouths to speak but before they could, a strong wind blew past. Amidst the swirling snow, the fleeing streak of light suddenly halted, a large cloud of blood mist sprayed out, and the figure was revealed. Bereft of life, it plummeted straight down.
The void fell silent, and only then did Yu Ci hear the Tu Brothers speak:
"The Abyss Ice Pure Snow Sword, it's Senior Brother Wang Jiu!"
Their voices were unconsciously hushed.
Another gust of wind howled past, and suddenly, another figure appeared in the void.
...